Enrollment
461
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 050459000185
Ellen Smith Elementary School — Conway, AR
Federal NCES profile for Ellen Smith Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 41
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Conway School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.9%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ellen Smith Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ellen Smith Elementary School reports 461 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 32% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 52.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% below the Arkansas average and 2% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 461 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Conway School District spends $12,793 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.6% from local sources (property taxes), 40.3% from the state, and 21.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ellen Smith Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.9:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.9% | ▼ 11% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 61% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
52.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
— 32% above state mean
Top 87% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,793
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 461 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 461 Top 61% in Arkansas — larger than 39% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 17.9:1 +32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 52.9% -11% vs state
NCES ID 050459000185
Student demographics
White 39.3%
African American 31.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 39.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 461:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.6%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conway School District, which includes Ellen Smith Elementary School.
$12,793
Per student
-10%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.3%
Federal 21.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,350
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Conway
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Carl Stuart Middle School
Standard public school
752 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Ruth Doyle Intermediate School
Standard public school
547 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Carolyn Lewis Elementary School
Standard public school
514 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Bob Courtway Middle School
Standard public school
498 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Theodore Jones Elem. School
Standard public school
491 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate
Standard public school
459 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ellen Smith Elementary School
How many students attend Ellen Smith Elementary School?
Ellen Smith Elementary School has 461 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in CONWAY, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ellen Smith Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ellen Smith Elementary School is 17.9:1, which is 32% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ellen Smith Elementary School?
52.9% of students at Ellen Smith Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ellen Smith Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ellen Smith Elementary School is White at 39.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in CONWAY, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ellen Smith Elementary School?
Ellen Smith Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.